Chocolate is a rich, delicious, and versatile product that comes in many forms. Two of the most popular kinds of chocolate are dark chocolate and milk chocolate, both of which require cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and a couple other ingredients. At home, you can make dark or milk chocolate and turn it into chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or other tasty drinks and treats.

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate

3.5 tablespoons (48 g) cocoa butter

3.5 tablespoons (26 g) cocoa powder

1 tablespoon (14 g) sugar

½ teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract

Milk Chocolate

5.5 tablespoons (75 g) cocoa butter or plain butter

9.5 tablespoons (75 g) icing sugar or powder sugar

6 tablespoons (25 g) milk powder

4 tablespoons (30 g) cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Steps

Method1

Making a Dark Chocolate Bar

1

Gather your ingredients and supplies. By definition, dark chocolate is chocolate that has a higher concentration of cocoa butter and less milk. It’s actually possible to make dark chocolate without any milk at all, making it perfect for people who can’t or don’t consume dairy. Along with your ingredients, you'll also need:[1]

Grater

Double boiler

Metal whisk

Candy mold

Optional ingredients to add to the chocolate, such as dried fruit or nuts

2

Heat the double boiler. In the bottom of the double boiler, fill the pot with an inch (2.5 cm) of water. Place this over medium heat and allow the water to come to a boil.

If you don’t have a double boiler, fill the bottom of a regular saucepan with water, and use a metal or glass bowl as the top portion of the double boiler.

Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, otherwise the chocolate will burn. Place the bowl into the saucepan and make sure the water isn't touching the bowl. Pour out some water if the water is touching the bowl.

3

Grate and melt the cocoa butter. Grating the cocoa butter will help it melt faster.[2] You can also cut the cocoa butter into small chunks if you prefer. When the water is boiling, place the cocoa butter into the top of the double boiler. Use the metal whisk to stir it frequently as it melts.

It’s important that you don’t use wooden utensils to make chocolate, because the wood can still contain moisture from the tree, and this can leach into the chocolate, changing its composition.[3]

Some recipes call for coconut oil instead of cocoa butter, but coconut oil will result in an oily chocolate that isn't as smooth, rich, and creamy as chocolate should be.

4

Add the remaining ingredients. Once the cocoa butter has melted, add the cocoa powder and whisk to combine. When the cocoa powder melts and the mixture starts to take on a glossy appearance, whisk it until it becomes smooth and creamy.[4]

When the chocolate is creamy and glossy, add the sugar and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Continue heating and whisking until the sugar is melted.

You can use honey, maple syrup, or any other sweetener in place of the sugar.

5

Pour the chocolate. When all the ingredients are melted and fully combined, pour the mixture evenly into your mold. Use a flat mixing spatula to distribute the chocolate in the mold if necessary.

Once the mold is full, you can sprinkle in any additional ingredients you're using, such as nuts or dried fruit. Try to distribute the ingredients evenly throughout the chocolate.

You can use any mold you like for this chocolate, including a bar mold, heart shapes, or any other design. If you don’t have a chocolate mold, you can use clean ice cube trays.

You can also use dark chocolate to make chocolate chips, truffles, and other delicious confections.

6

Cool the chocolate. Set the chocolate aside to cool to room temperature, because you don’t want it to harden too quickly. Once it reaches room temperature, transfer the mold to an air-tight container and into the fridge to set for about an hour.[5]

It’s important to wait before putting the chocolate in the fridge and to put it in an air-tight container first. If the chocolate cools too quickly or is exposed to moisture, the chocolate can bloom, which is when the surface of the chocolate becomes dull and streaked.[6]

7

Remove the chocolate from the mold. Take the chocolate out of the fridge once it has set. To get it out of the mold, place the mold upside down on a flat surface. Peel the mold away from the chocolate.

You can also put the chocolate into the freezer for five to 10 minutes then try again to peel away the mold.[7]

Gently tap the back of the mold with the but end of a kitchen knife if the chocolate doesn’t come out right away.

Instead of tapping the mold with the knife, you can gently tap the entire mold against a hard, flat surface to release it.

Method2

Making Milk Chocolate Chips

1

Get your supplies. Making milk chocolate is very similar to making dark chocolate. The major difference is that milk chocolate incorporates milk powder. When you make milk chocolate, you don’t just have to make chips. You can also use it to make chocolate bars, sauces, and other yummy treats. To make milk chocolate chips, you'll need your ingredients, plus:

A double boiler or metal bowl and saucepan

Metal spoon

Whisk

Parchment-lined baking sheet

Pasty bag with a small circle tip

Toothpick

2

Grate and melt the cocoa butter. You can also cut the cocoa butter into small chunks. Place the cocoa butter into a double boiler over medium heat. You can also use a bowl set on top of a saucepan filled with one inch (2.5 cm) of water over medium heat. Stir with a metal spoon until the cocoa butter melts.[8]

Make sure the bowl isn't touching the water to avoid burning the chocolate. If the bottom of the bowl is touching the water, remove the bowl and pour out some water.

3

Add the remaining ingredients. Add the pinch of salt, followed by the cocoa powder. Stir to combine, then add the sugar and stir. When that is all incorporated, add the milk powder and stir until everything is mixed together.

Once the ingredients are fully incorporated, whisk the chocolate vigorously until it becomes glossy.

It’s important to use powdered milk when making chocolate instead of liquid milk. Milk contains a lot of water, and water causes chocolate to seize, meaning it clumps up into a chunky mess.[9]

4

Form the chocolate chips. Spoon or pour the chocolate into the pastry bag fitted with the circle tip. Dab pea-sized dots of chocolate onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. While the chocolate is still warm, dab a toothpick into the center of each chip and lift to create a peak in the middle.[10]

If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a freezer bag. Fill the bag with the chocolate and use scissors to snip off a small hole in one of the bottom corners. Push the chocolate out of the hole like you would with a pastry bag.

When you’ve finished piping out the chips, set them aside to cool to room temperature. When they're cool, transfer them to an air-tight container.

5

Finished.

Community Q&A

Put the chocolate mixture into heart shaped ice cube trays or a heart shaped candy mold. Then, before it cools, add sprinkles, edible glitter or other edible decorations which will harden on the chocolate. You can also drizzle a different color candy on the hearts after they harden and you remove them from the mold.

The major difference between cacao and cocoa is that cacao is cold pressed and cocoa is processed with heat. For most recipes, you shouldn't have any problems substituting raw cacao powder for cocoa powder. If you do encounter any issues, in baked goods, for instance, try adding a teaspoon of baking powder or soda to the recipe.

Yes. You can. Butter is almost the same as cocoa butter. However, if you use cocoa butter the taste of the chocolate will be slightly different. You can try making a bit of each and see which is nicer before you decide which on to use. However, if you are unable to find cocoa butter, you can use regular butter.

You can use packet milk which is highly accessible. However, when you add the milk to the mixture, you will have to stir the mixture for a long time repeatedly before your chocolate is ready to be consumed. There will also be lumps in the chocolate so you will have to eliminate the lumps before you freeze the chocolate.